Tarbut Yisrael education has never been so important at camp and around the world. As a Zionist camp, one of our goals is to strengthen Jewish American kids’ connection to Israel.
“We want to deepen their relationship beyond the more surface-level associations like falafel and hummus. We want them to know they have a place.
Another one of our goals is to give intentional space for the Israelis and Americans to share their relationships and experiences from multiple perspectives.” -Idan Fine, Head of Tarbut Israel
For many of the eidot (age divisions) we start the summer by having campers discuss their current relationship with Israel, which may or may not be different than before in light of current events. One tool that has been very successful for these types of discussions are “David cards,” a new visual tool by illustrator Sapir Wiener for Jewish and Israel educators.
With the older campers we go deeper into multiple narratives and how those might be reflected in something like maps. We talk about hope and the different ways they can contribute to Israel.
“One thing is clear; these campers have a lot to share. Their opinions are valid. They understand what’s going on. Sometimes they express confusion in the same way that many adults are expressing confusion. But they’re very self-aware and aware of their environment. Many of their opinions share a common feeling of ‘I’m so happy that I can share my Judaism and to be in a place where everyone is Jewish.’” -Idan Fine, Head of Tarbut Yisrael
